Quick Decision
by Kurohane Ookami
Summary: "And just so you remember, you aren't my wielder. You aren't Sogyo no Kotowari's wielder. You aren't anyone's wielder. So don't tell us what to do."


_She lives in a fairy tale  
>Somewhere too far for us to find<br>Forgotten the taste and smell  
>Of the world that she's left behind<br>It's all about the exposure the lens I told her  
>The angles were all wrong now<br>She's ripping wings off of butterflies_

She never thought it would come to this.

Sadness welled in her heart as she looked out at the falling rain.

Katen Kyokotsu knew she was alone.

They both knew they were alone.

The wakizashi part of her was gone, only giving her a side glance of hurt as she went.

Their fights were few and far in between, but each and every one of them tore their soul slowly and painfully.

Muramasa had promised all it would take was to come out, be free.

What a joke it had all been..

Katen Kyokotsu had felt _wrong_ when she'd materialized. The freedom was amazing, and the sights of the world around her drew her artistic side like a moth to a flame, but it was _wrong_.

She belonged with her wielder, her companion and partner, with all her heart.

_Keep your feet on the ground  
>When your head's in the clouds<em>

She tried to hold the tears at bay, her pale skin covered in water droplets.

She bowed her head, violet lips parting, eye closing as she struggled to stay in control.

By now her hair and her dress were soaked, along with her eyepatch, but she didn't care. She only wished to be alone with her turmoiled thoughts, away from everyone else.

Her slender fingers clenched at the fabric of her dress, her head bowing further as her eyelid pressed together, the tears finally escaping her eye and seeping down her cheek.

After a while more of sitting in the rain, Katen Kyokotsu stood and began her journey back to the underground caverns she and the others had come to be staying in.

_Well go get your shovel  
>And we'll dig a deep hole<br>To bury the castle, bury the castle_

She composed herself as she stepped into the cavern, and almost immediately something caught her attention.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Muramasa speaking with Sogyo no Kotowari, a frustrated sneer on his face as he talked.

But what she quickly noticed was that the two boys were cringing onto the floor, tears in their eyes as they listened.

Katen Kyokotsu began walking towards the three, but before she took three steps, Muramasa raised a hand and slapped one of the twins.

Before he knew what was happening, Katen was in his face, sword drawn and at his throat as a chilling glare suddenly made itself known on her elegant face.

_So one day he found her crying  
>Coiled up on the dirty ground<br>Her prince finally came to save her  
>And the rest you can figure out<br>But it was a trick  
>And the clock struck 12<br>Well make sure to build your house brick by boring brick  
>or the wolves gonna blow it down<em>

"What. Are. You. Doing." she spat at him, her eye viciously sparking with rage.

"I was speaking with them." he replied coolly, but Katen could see the fear in his eyes of this woman, soaked from rain and tears, with a sword at his throat.

"Really. Because if I'm not mistaken, you just hit them."

Her voice was low, calm, but a storm was brewing beneath that beautiful violet eye, her tangled and twisted halo of curls almost indigo in color.

Muramasa winced as her sword dug sharply into his throat, a thin line of crimson dripping onto her blade.

"Why did you hit them?" she asked reasonably, her tone still cool and calm.

As he remained silent, she pressed the blade deeper into his throat, more crimson slowly dripping down onto the weapon held by what seemed to be an angel of death.

Leaning in suddenly, her mouth at his ear, she breathed only a few words.

"Touch them again, and I _will _kill you."

_Keep your feet on the ground  
>When your head's in the clouds<em>

Then, just as quickly as she'd drawn her sword, she sheathed it and turned towards the twins.

They huddled on the cold and damp floor, one holding his cheek as he silently cried. His twin sat next to him, tears also streaming down his cheeks silently. As Katen Kyokotsu bent to their level, they looked up at her, matching eyes watery, hats askew.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently, reaching out and stroking their cheeks with soft hands.

_Well go get your shovel  
>And we'll dig a deep hole<br>To bury the castle, bury the castle_

The boys stared at her kind face for only a moment, then launched themselves into her arms.

She felt their small forms shudder from their sobs, and she caressed their soft hair and cooed to them soothingly in an attempt to comfort them. Gradually, sobs turned to shaking, shaking to small hiccups, and hiccups to silence.

"We miss Shiro-sama." one finally said, his voice muted. The other nodded as he held onto Katen's dress.

_Well you built up a world of magic  
>Because your real life is tragic<br>Yeah you built up a world of magic_

"Is that why Muramasa hit you?" Katen questioned.

"He says we aren't allowed to see him, and he said he'd let Kazeshini eat us if we did.''

Instant outrage at Muramasa reignited in Katen Kyokotsu, and she placed the twins back down on the floor as her eye hardened. "I'll be right back, okay? Just stay here." she murmured before stalking off towards Muramasa, who currently was standing on his ledge on the higher part of the cave.

Appearing in front of him, Katen swung her hand, hard.

A giant crack resounded throughout the cave.

"They're children. They miss their wielder. And yet, you stand before them, command them to not visit him, and then have the nerve to injure _and _threaten them? Where is your respect!" she yelled.

All sounds of activity stopped.

No one, not even Sogyo no Kotowari, had _ever _seen Katen Kyokotsu this angry.

_Well, if it's not real  
>You can't hold it in your hands<br>You can't feel it with your heart  
>And I won't believe it<br>But if it's true  
>You can see it with your eyes<br>Even in the dark  
>And that's where I want to be, yeah<em>

"Your point?" Muramasa growled.

"I should kill you, you ignorant bastard. But then again, I would never forgive myself if I scared the children."

"Children? They are as old as you are." Muramasa sneered.

Katen Kyokotsu was generally not a violent woman. She was generally patient and levelheaded. But if it was one thing you _never _wanted to mention around Katen, it was her age.

Again, her hand swung, fast for even Muramasa to see, and connected with his face, her nails gouging into his cheek and ripping.

"_Never_ speak of them as if they are nothing. I will personally see to it that you will die very slowly by my hand." she spat.

Muramasa's face was one of rage and terror, one of his white hands cupping his cheek and coming away with shining droplets of blood.

"You wench." his eyes narrowed dangerously. "After all I've done for you-"

Katen Kyokotsu laughed coldly. "But even you know it was all a lie. What better way to destroy Soul Society then to bring all Captain Class swords out and fight their wielders?"

Muramasa hissed, lethal at the womans outburst towards him. A hand went to his sword, but before he could draw it, another sword was pressed to his neck. His head turned, meeting the green blue eyes of Katen Kyokotsu 'Wakizashi'.

Katen motionless, slightly amused at Muramasa's now reversed position. "Just because we aren't together doesn't mean we aren't far from each other."

He snarled lightly, a menacing sound that didn't even ruffle the other.

"And just so you remember, you aren't my wielder. You aren't Sogyo no Kotowari's wielder. You aren't anyone's wielder. So don't tell us what to do."

Taking a small breath, she sighed before turning and going back to the twins, who were now wide eyed and amazed by Katen's protectiveness.

"Do you want to go visit Shiro-sama tonight?" she asked them.

Sogyo no Kotowari shared a glance, then in unison nodded.

"Come on then. Let's go see what Soul Society looks like in the meantime."

The boys grasped the offered hands cautiously and began walking out the caverns.

0-0-0-0

The moon was almost full in the sky.

_Go get your shovel  
>We'll dig a deep hole<br>To bury the castle, bury the castle_

Three figures quietly crept through the Thirteenth Squads barracks, a fourth trailing farther behind.

Katen Kyokotsu held Sogyo no Kotowari's small hands delicately as they moved with ease through the shadows and corners. Her other part moved silently behind them, making sure they weren't being followed.

Sogyo and Koto, as Katen had discovered they liked to be called, tugged on her hands gently as they led her throughout their familiar paths.

Sogyo carried a small spinning top in his hand, Koto carrying a note they'd written for their wielder.

Though she wouldn't admit it herself, Katen had written her own note to give to Kyoraku later.

The twins let go of her hands suddenly as the Captains quarters came into view, darting away and slipping in through a window. Sighing in annoyance, Katen followed, her heels surprisingly not any louder than the twins small feet.

"Sogyo, Koto, I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to go see someone for a moment." she whispered to them as they stroked Jushiro's pearl hair. Sogyo gave her a quick nod, Koto merely glancing up for a moment before returning to his stroking.

Climbing out the window, Katen stepped away, looking at her counterpart for a moment.

"Are you coming, or would you like to stay here?"

The slender ninja shook her head, instead leaning against a nearby tree, her eye gleaming with moonlight.

"I won't be long." Katen added before disappearing into the shadows again.

As if in a trance, she moved wraithlike through pathways and darkness, a single presence drawing her towards it.

The Eight Squads barracks were silent when she slipped through the gate with ease and closing it without a sound. Her dress dragged on the ground, sounding like leaves blowing in the summer, her heels like small stones being tossed into a stream.

A gentle breeze picked up, ruffling her curled hair that shone like the most beautiful of silks, her dress glittering like stars as the threads caught the silver light.

When she finally arrived at her masters lodgings, her companion and wielder, uncertainty tainted her gaze, her face twisted slightly as her emotions began to shift. Shaking off the feeling, she noiselessly opened the paper door, closing it behind her as she took in the scene of her masters room.

It was tidy, clean compared to some she'd seen.

Kyoraku Shunsui lay in his bed in the middle of the room, still clothed, soft snores coming from his mouth.

Katen found a small smile crossing her face at the sight of the Captain sleeping so peacefully, his gentle face uncreased as he dreamed.

She crossed the distance between them in a few steps, herself kneeling beside him in an elegant motion that made it look easy.

Tentatively, she reached out to brush a stray piece of dark curls out of his face, tenderly brushing it with her fingers and tears gathering at her eye again.

Her first meeting with her master.

"I've waited so long to finally meet you Kyoraku." she breathed, her voice slightly choked. "Muramasa promised us freedom, but it merely feels as though we've been shackled once more.."

A lone tear streaked down her pale face, startling her as it landed on his face.

"Come find us, Master. We both want to meet you face to face."

Taking out the small note from the folds of her dress, she placed it next to the sake bottle, grasping the bottle and taking the last drink from it before placing it down on top of the folded paper and standing.

"Come find us.." she whispered before leaving the room, the door left open the tiniest crack.

0-0-0-0

Kyoraku woke the next morning with a rather irritating buzz in the back of his mind and a slightly heavy feeling on his tongue. Sitting up, he yawned and stretched, knocking over an empty sake bottle. Reaching over to set it back up, his hand grazed a small piece of paper, neatly folded and laying innocently on the floor.

His hand changed course, grabbing the small thing and unfolding it, puzzled.

A smirk replaced the puzzlement, his eyes misting as he refolded the note and tucked it away into his robe.

_No matter what they say, I still care for you._

_Katen_

0-0-0-0

Jushiro's eyes sleepily opened, sunlight streaming in through his windows.

Mumbling something incoherant, he stretched, his hands grazing something as he did so.

He wrapped his fingers around the items, confusion clear in his eyes, and brought them up to his face.

A small spinning top, painted blue, yellow and red, nestled in his left hand, and a brightly colored piece of paper in his right.

Placing the top in his lap, he curiously looked over the paper. Confusion turned to laughter and joy as he read the childish scrawl across the paper.

_Shiro-sama!_

_We didn't leave you cause we don't love you! (of course not!)_

_We just wanted to play! That's all! _

_We hope you'll come play with us soon, won't you? (please?)_

_We still love you Shiro-sama!_

_Sogyo and Kotowari!_

Chuckling softly to himself, Jushiro folded the paper around the top and placed it in his robe before getting up and walking towards the window.

As he did, he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of two children, holding hands and laughing.


End file.
